Portable-collapsible toilet



Aug. 31, 1965 D. M. OLSON PORTABLE-COLLAPSIBLE TOILET Filed JuneINVENTOR DONALD M. OLSON 7 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,203,007PORTABLE-COLLAPSIBLE TOILET Donald M. Olson, 613 Pinon Drive, P.0. Box2165, Santa Fe, N. Mex.

Filed June 24, 1963, Ser. No. 289,872 6 Claims. (Cl. 4-116) Thisinvention relates to an improved campers toilet and it pertains moreparticularly to a temporary toilet structure offering a remarkably highdegree of cleanliness, privacy and protection, which structure may bequickly and easily erected or disassembled and packed into aluggage-sized carrier.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical, temporarytoilet structure which insures privacy, which can be easily erected byman, woman or child and which will fully meet their requirements. Afurther object is to provide a portable toilet structure in which thereis no possibility of the seat tipping or moving with respect to theunit. Another object is to provide a structure which will not only keepout wind, rain and insects but which will vent to the outside any odorsfrom the refuse container and supply fresh air thereto while thestructure is not in use. Other objects will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description.

Briefly, the invention may be described as toilet seat and lid thereformounted above an annular or closed angular support for a plastic bagwhich extends upwardly through, across, and downwardly around theoutside of said support and which is held in sealed position below theseat opening. The seat-support-bag structure is set up inside an opaqueor translucent (but not transparent), waterproof tent which is providedwith an entrance slit held normally in closed position, the tent beingsupported over a framecomprising a substantially vertical pole, aplurality of inclined poles, and a tie plate for securing their upperends. All of the poles are in sections about 16 to 22 inches longtapered or swaged at one end so that the sections may be securedtogether. The lowest section of the vertical pole is provided with afoot-rest for pushing the pole down and then holding it, and with abracket or other holding means for holding one end of the seat in afixed upright position with respect to the tent frame. The front end ofthe seat is preferably held up by a panel which provides two front legstherefor and which also functions to hide from view therefuse-containing plastic bag. When the lid is closed, it too is sealedagainst the seat by a gasket or other means. A flexible, preferablybellows-shaped tube is secured at one end to the edge of a correspondingopening in the back or upper part of the tent, said opening beingcovered by a screen to keep insects out, and removably attached at itsother end to a tube which provides an opening through the lid so thatwhen the lid is closed, all odors are vented outside the tent. It isvery easy to set up or to take down the described structure, evenwithout the use of any tools or accessory materials. When it isdisassembled and packed in a bundle, the structure occupies a space nolarger than an ordinary piece of hand luggage and the bundle is verylight and easy to handle. Other features of the invention will becomeapparent as the detailed description of a preferred example thereofproceeds.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specificationand which illustrate a preferred ex ample of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a view of the tent structure,

FIG. 2 is a vertical section showing the seat structure in relationshipto the tent-supporting frame,

FIG. 3 is a larger sectional view of the seat structure,

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the seat showing the sealing gasket,support-holding clamps and panel-holding slot,

FIG. 5 is a sectional detail of the clamp holding the bag-containingsupport against the rubber seal,

FIG. 6 is a sectional detail showing the joint between the tube sectionswhich form the poles for the tentholding frame, and

FIG. 7 is a front view of the panel supporting the front end of theseat.

The toilet structure is housed in a tent 10 (see FIG. 1) which may be ofcanvas 01' other waterproof fabric or of a plastic film or sheet, thetent material being nontransparent but preferably translucent or opaquewith translucent areas, preferably in its upper part as represented bytranslucent window 11. The tent in this example is of a triangularfrusto-pyramidal shape, angle ACB being a right angle, edge CF beingsubstantially vertical, and edges BE and AD being at an angle with theground of about (see FIG. 2). The tent may be about 6 /2 high and attheir lower edges sides AC and BC may be about 40" long. In the frontside ABED of the tent there is a reinforced vertical slit 12 forentrance and exit, the tent preferably being made of a material whichwill stretch or flex to provide access. The unitary 3-sided tent withits triangular top DEF may be rolled or folded into a compact bundle fortransport, and in operative use it simply fits over a frame which willnow be described.

The frame consists of three poles and a top plate, each of the polesbeing formed in sections. The main pole 13 is provided with a tubularsteel bottom section 14, the four upper sections 15, 15', 15" and 15"being aluminum tubes swaged at ther lower ends to fit snugly and/ orlock in the upper part of the subadjacent tube section as shown in FIG.6. Pole 13 holds tent edge CF, pole 16 holds edge AD and the third pole(not shown) holds tent edge BE. When the sections of pole 13 areassembled, the lower point 17 thereof is pushed into the ground bystepping or stamping on a flat foot-rest 18 until it is flush with theground; thereafter this foot-rest 18, which is secured to section 14,prevents the pole from sinking further into the ground when the toiletseat is used. Socket 19 of plastic cover plate 20 fits over the top ofpole 13. Pole 16 is then similarly assembled and is pushed into theground so that its top will fit into socket 21 and the remaining pole issecured to a socket of similar nature. All of the poles are in sectionsso that when disassembled, the tubular aluminum sections and triangularcover-plate form a very small and light-weight package.

The toilet seat 22 has a bracket 23 secured to its rear edge and thedownwardly extending portion of this bracket fits into an opening 24formed in tube 14 by slitting and bending as shown in FIG. 3 so thattube 14 holds the rear of the toilet seat at the proper elevation andprevents it from tipping or moving with respect to the tent frame. Thereis a slot 25 in the bottom front of the seat and this slot holds panel26 which provides two front legs for the seat and which conceals therefuse-containing plastic bag from view.

Lid 27 is hinged at 28 and is provided with a rubber seal or gasket 29so that when the lid is closed, there is a seal between lid 27 and seat22. A rigid tube 30 extends through the lid 27 near the rear partthereof and a flexible, bellows-shaped tube 31 slidably fits over rigidtube 30 at one end and is secured to the edges of an opening in the tent10 around a screen 32 so that odors from beneath the seat are vented tothe outside without letting insects in.

The support for the plastic bag in this example is an aluminum tube orrod 33 which is bent into an oval shape like that of the toilet seat,which has a down wardly extending end portion 34 which serves as ahandle,

a and which 'has outwardly protruding burrs, points or prongs 35 struckout thereon on its outer periphery by a strike die. In use, the open endof a plastic bag 36, preferably of Mylar film, is passed up throughsupport 33, smoothed over the upper surface thereof and pressed againstprongs 35 or other holding means, The bagcontaining support is thenpressed upwardly against clamps 37 which spring outwards to permit itsentrance and which then hold the support 33, with the smooth portion ofbag 36 extending across it, against the lower resilient surface ofrubber ring 38 which is cemented or otherwise secured to the bottom ofthe seat and which is of the same curvature as support 33 so that itforms -a seal around the opening. Clamps 37 may be designed to hold thatportion of bag 37 which lies across support 33 directly against thebottom of seat 22, but rubber ring 38 gives a better seal.

A small amount of liquid 39 may be poured into bag 36 when in use, suchfor example as water, any known refuse-decomposing liquid, a deodorant,an insecticide or insect repellant, etc. Usually the paper normallyemployed is effective in preventing such liquid from splashing on auser, but if desired, a non-splash device can be built into thestructure. For example, lifting the back of lid 27 may actuate a systemof levers (not shown) to slightly elevate the central portion of thebottom of the bag so that the liquid will all run to a narrow outerannulus, and after usage, closing of the lid may insure that the liquidcovers any newly deposited 7 material.

While a specific example of the invention has been described inconsiderable detail, it should be understood that alternativearrangements and structural details may be employed as will be apparentfrom the foregoing description to those skilled in the art. Support 33may be substantially rectangular instead of oval and it may be mountedon a bracket like 23 with its front supported on a panel like 26, inwhich case the seat 22 could rest on and be supported by the samesupport that holds the top of bag 36. Instead of using prongs 35 orroughened areas on the support for holding the top of the bag 36, theouter periphery of the support may be designed to receive a rubber bandor other type of holding means. Instead of sealing the top of the bag byusing brackets 37 and rubber seal strip 38, the support itself may be ofrubbery material and it may be held up against the bottom of the seat byjack-in-the-box type spring structures or other known means. Vent tube31 may discharge from the top of the tent instead of from the lower partof the back thereof. In use, the entrance slit may be held closed bynylon tie strings, but the preferred fastener is one in which one sideis faced Wih a nylon nap or pile while the other is faced with Wireloops or burrs (a Velcro fastener) so that when one is pushed againstthe other, it holds against lateral pulls but can easily be strippedapart. For cold or hot climates a double-walled tent may be used whichis quilted and inflatable to provide an insulating dead air space. Thepanel supporting the front of the seat may be hinged thereto and mayhave openings to fit around the clamps when it fits against the bottomof the seat. Any other types of clamps or holding means may be usedinstead of those shown in FIG. 5.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the objects of theinvention have been accomplished.

I claim:

1. A toilet which comprises:

(a) a substantially vertical supporting pole, in sections, with aseat-support near but spaced from its base,

(b) other supports adapted to be removably fastened to the upper part ofthe pole for supporting a tent containing a translucent area and anormally closed entrance opening,

(c) a panel comprising front legs for holding up the front of a toiletseat,

(d) a support having an opening therethrough for a plastic bag, the openend of said bag extending up through, across and around the periphery ofthe support when in use,

(e) said toilet seat supported by said vertical pole and by said panel,there being a seal between the lower part of the seat and the portion ofthe bag which extends across the top of the support, and

(f) a lid for covering and substantially sealing the opening in the seatwhen said seat is not in use.

2. The structure of claim 1 which includes a tent having a smallscreened opening, a flexible tube secured at one of its ends to theperiphery of said opening, the other of its ends being removably securedto a tube having an opening extending through said lid.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the bottom section of the verticalpole is sharp at its base and which includes a fiat foot-rest securedthereto for pressing the pole into the earth and for limiting thedistance the pole may penetrate into the earth.

4. The structure of claim 1 which includes means for holding the supportin a fixed position below said seat.

5. The structure of claim 1 which includes a rubber strip interposedbetween the bottom of the seat and the top of the support.

6. A campers toilet which comprises a dernountable frame and a tentsupportable thereon, said frame including a sectional vertical poledesigned to hold up the back of a toilet seat, means for holding up thefront of said seat, said toilet seat having a lid adapted to fitthereagainst to form a seal therebetween, a plastic bag support, meansfor holding the supported end of the plastic bag in sealed relationshipwith the bottom of the seat, and a screened vent for discharging anyodors from the vicinity of the seat to the exterior of said tent.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 997,270 7/11Cofrode 4'-116 1,306,041 6/19 Wittmann 4-116 1,538,296 5/25 McDonald4-116 1,567,484 12/25 Beard 4-1 16 1,575,131 3/26 Schumacker 4116LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

LEWIS J. LENNY, Examiner.

1. A TOILET WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL SUPPORTING POLE, IN SECTIONS, WITH A SEAT-SUPPORT NEAR BUT SPACED FROM ITS BASE, (B) OTHER SUPPORTS ADAPTED TO BE REMOVABLY FASTENED TO THE UPPER PART OF THE POLE FOR SUPPORT A TENT CONTAINTING A TRANSLUCENT AREA AND NORMALLY CLOSED ENTRANCE OPENING, (C) A PANEL COMPRISING FORN LEGS FOR HOLDING UP THE FRONT OF A TOILET SEAT, (D) A SUPPORT HAVING AND OPENING THERETHROUGH FOR A PLASTIC BAG, THE OPEN END OF SAID BAG EXTENDING UP THROUGH, ACROSS AND AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE SUPPORT WHEN IN USE. (E) SAID TOILET SEAT SUPPORTED BY SAID VERTIVAL POLE AND BY SAID PANEL, THERE BEING A SEAL BETWEEN THE LOWER PART OF THE SEAT AND THE PORTION OF THE BAG WHICH EXTENDS ACROSS THE TOP OF THE SUPPORT, AND (F) A LID FOR COVERING AND SUBSTANTIALLY SEALING THE OPENING IN THE SEAT WHEN SAID SEAT IS NOT IN USE. 